Sea of No Cares
by Manda Panda Bear
Summary: In the wake of grief and disaster Mal and the crew of Serenity are trying to pick up where fate left them. But, as always, with this group trouble always seems to find them. Serenity Spoilers


"It's quite fascinating actually," Inara said glancing out across the crowd that was situated before her.

"Oh yeah," Malcolm Reynolds said in mild agreement but more-so with sheer disdain, "fascinating."

A coy smile passed over Inara's pretty face. She glanced up to Mal, then back across the people. Perched on a landing overlooking the lowered floor below they were possibly the only two not moving in the entire room. A steady beat was thumping heavy enough to drown out nearly all the other music that accompanied it. Bodies, glazed with a sheen of sweat writhed against one another on the floor below. The crowd seemed to move as one, and when the music changed so did the momentum of the crowd.

"So this is what the kids do these days?" Mal shouted over the music.

"It's dancing Mal," Inara retorted. "It amazes me how easily the heartbeat of life is music and people can recognize it no matter the situation, their station, or what society has dragged them through. It is one thing that has withstood the test of time."

"Huh?" Mal barked, pretending not to entirely hear her. He pointed down to the crowd and waved her over. As they squeezed their way through the crowd Mal grumbled and hissed the whole way. The destination hadn't seemed so far from the other side of the room. After several minutes of pushing and slipping through they made it to the make shift bar.

"This is more like it," Mal muttered under his breath as he leaned casually on the counter top. "Hey," he shouted to Inara, "remind me never to do this again. I'm much more a fan of the kind'a place a guy can get in an honest bar fight."  
"I'll keep that in mind," Inara presented the coy smile again, "I remember that you prefer props for said fight, such as cue sticks and pool tables."

"Damn right," Mal nodded just as the barkeep appeared.

"What can I get y'all?" The man behind the bar shouted to them.

"Know what?" Mal said giving the table a quick knock, "Nothin'. I've changed my mind."  
"Mal," Inara began, but it was too late. Mal had already started to weave his way through the crowd.

Inara didn't bother to wait, she knew if she didn't fight to keep up she would loose him in the mass of people. There were very few men that she would ever follow, Mal was one of them. They had been on a rocky road since their meeting nearly two years ago. Inara was an excellent companion who took up residency in one of his ship's two shuttles. She later vacated that shuttle because of her personal feelings for the man who captained the ship her shuttle was bound to. After a rather intense round of death and destruction Inara decided to once again join Captain Malcolm Reynolds's 'crew'. She liked them, the whole crew; and despite being one short of when she came aboard the second time she trusted Mal with all she had.

Persephone was an outpost just on the border of Alliance space and all that separated that which was ungoverned. Here Mal would look for cargo to ship legally or illegally and possibly passengers seeking to relocate somewhere along the path Serenity, Mal's ship, would be going. That destination was undetermined as yet and would no doubt rely on the highest bidder.

At present Kaylee, Serenity's mechanic, was seeking out paying passengers.

She smiled at passersby and did her best to look pleasant and welcoming, both of which were very natural to her. She had aged some over the course of the past few months, she had seen too much death and experienced too much fear to be unchanged. However, she remained, in spirit, the same Kaylee that had left her parents on a whim to join Mal on his ship.

Three people had offered up 50 platinum for a lift to the outer planets. Kaylee quickly scooped up their cash and allowed them to board, 50 platinum was quite a lot – she would have accepted 20.

"Anything good?"

Kaylee gave a little jump, but smiled as she swung around, "Cap'n, you startled me."

Mal raised his eyebrows at her.

She quickly retracted the smile and did her best to look serious, "Yeah, uh, three people come on board and gave me 50 platinum a piece." She looked proud.

"Good job," Mal said in passing. He patted Kaylee on the shoulder and turned to scan the crowd. "Now where's Zoë and Jayne?" He questioned methodically.

"Right here sir," Zoë's tone was casual, yet to the common onlooker she would have sounded as if a salute should have come with her words. Zoë was an ex-Browncoat who fought alongside Mal in the war as his subordinate. She was dedicated to him, trusted his judgment, and would follow him even unto death. When the war had ended, the Alliance prevailed and the Browncoats surrendered and disbursed, Zoë didn't have to ask Mal to take her with him wherever he was going nor did Mal have to request that Zoë stay by his side into the next series of events that would lead them to the rest of their life…it was just assumed.

Jayne, however, had been a mercenary who came on board by chance when Mal offered him a bigger cut of the booty than his previous 'boss'. Jayne had been an admirable comrade at times and a shady acquaintance in other instances yet still Jayne remained. Mal would like to say he trusted Jayne; most days he did, others he wasn't sure, and a very few he didn't trust Jayne at all.

"I hope you guys had better luck," Mal said.

"Unfortunately we had no luck at all sir," Zoë answered.

"Close it up Kaylee," Mal instructed.

Kaylee nodded.

"Where will we try next sir?" Zoë asked just as the hatch began to close and the foursome began to pull it in.

"WAIT! WAIT!"

Mal glanced over his shoulder just as a couple came skidding to a halt at the closing door.

"We can pay!" Was the last thing Mal heard before he ordered, "Open the hatch."

Jayne punched the button and the door lowered. Mal stalked down the open hatch toward the pair.

They were a dusty couple, clearly they had been walking the streets of Persephone. They didn't look of a class well enough to pay for their transport and Mal was sorry he hadn't gotten a better look before he ordered the hatch open. There was a man and a woman. The man was tall and of a thin frame, while the woman was petite and equally as emaciated.

"I hope you can pay for the delay you're causin' us," Mal said as he got closer.

The woman extended a pouch full of coins at him, "Get us out of here."

"Whoa," Mal held up his hands before accepting the bag. "We ain't made any kind of deal yet."

"Look," the man said, "we choose your ship because it's leaving now. So if we can be on our way that'd be swell."

"Where you headed?" Mal bantered back.

"Wherever you're going," the woman said. "We'll pay you for your troubles. One hundred and fifty platinum."

When she mistook Mal's shocked expression as not enough she continued, "Each."


End file.
